Webmaster

also seen in all lowercase: webmaster

A commonly used term that can refer to a variety of individuals involved with the creation or management of a Web site. Most correctly, a Webmaster is the person who maintains, runs, or "watches over" the content and functionality of a Web site. In other words, he or she is the all-points information person or ambassador for a Web site.

The Webmaster is the person to which all feedback and correspondence for a Web site is to be sent and is usually an individual who either entirely or in part helped build the Web site(s) he or she maintains (in terms of supplying graphics, programming, and/or content updates). When you see a link on a Web page that says "webmaster@somedomain.com," this is the e-mail address where users can send comments or questions about that particular Web site; the Webmaster is the person designated to receive such feedback. (Some Webmasters may know very little about the Web site's content and may only handle technical problems.)

One thing to keep in mind is that the term "Webmaster" (like ambassador) is not gender-specific and can refer to a man, woman, or even a group of Web people who are performing the functions described above. That said, the term "Webmistress" is also in use for the many women who perform these functions.